NOTE: Check out the live News, Notes and Rumors show on Monday and Friday at 6 PM Eastern on or the archive of the shows on http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/. On Monday Samantha Bunten of NBC Sports and I discuss the results of the weekend. On Friday Tony Williams Giants beat writer for Metro New York joins Samantha and me to preview the upcoming games.

Yet another open letter to Browns’ owner Jimmy Haslam:

The coaching search under Mike Holmgren was limited to the best coach represented by agent Bob Lamonte. That is how the Browns ended up with moron Pat Shurmur as head coach. All he did was to drive the organization further into the depths of a culture of loosing. I know this will shock you but Lamonte was Holmgren’s agent.

Now Holmgren is gone. He has been replaced by Joe Banner as the head guy. The names change but the process seems to be the same. Now, because Banner’s agent is Jim Sexton, the Browns hire will the best coach represented by Sexton. This is insanity which is defined as doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result.

The news leaked out that Bill Belichick disciple Josh McDaniels is the Browns’ primary focus in the search. He was the head coach of the Bronocs. When he was hired I wrote the following:

As usual, the media have totally missed the most important fact in the QB Jay Cutler vs. new Denver Broncos coach Josh McDaniels. The antique media call Cutler a cry baby. Others say that McDaniels has all the power because Bronco team owner Pat Bowlen backs his new guy. That is not the key story here. The key story is that Bowlen blew it when he fired Mike Shanahan and blew it again in hiring the 32 year old McDaniels. McDaniels is not mature enough to be a head coach in the NFL. It was a bad hire and this is only the first screwup for which McD will be responsible.

Read more at http://fryingpansports.com/the-media-has-missed-the-point-of-the-cutler-vs-mcdaniels-spitting-contest/#jmzekXZdkTVVgJBr.99

In less than 2 years Bowlen realized the mistake and fired McDaniels. By then McDaniels had forced the two best players off the team in QB Cutler and WR Brandon Marshall. The team only recovered when they hired John Fox as head coach and won the Payton Manning sweepstakes. Without those two the Broncos would be in the top 5 of the draft just like the Browns.

The fact that Banner is even focused on the Belichick tree is stupid. No one from that tree has been successful. Here is the list of failues generated by the Belichick tree;

Josh McDaniels DV – Fired after less than 2 years after a 3-9 start to the 2010 season. He was so bad at judging talent that he lost his GM control after a year.

Eric Mangini Browns (2009-10)

– You would have thought that after the Crennel disaster the Browns owner would have had more sense than to hire another Belichick clone.

Romeo Crennel Browns (2005-8) 24-40 KC named him as interim HC in 2011 and fired him after the 2012 season. 4-15

Al Groh, New York Jets (2000) – After a reasonably successful 9-7 season Groh hated pro football so badly he quit to go back to his alma mater, University of Virginia.

Nick Saban, Miami Dolphins (2005–2006) – 15-17 He went 9-7 with the previous regime’s guys then was fired after a 6-10 season under the guys he brought in. He is a much better college coach than pro.

Pat Shurmur CL (2010-11) Moron#1 9-23

Jason Garrett DA (2011-?) Moron#2 8-8 every season with no hope of getting into the playoffs. The only reason he has a job is Owner Jerry Jones can’t find anyone else that will put up with him being the GM.

Mike Mularkey JK (2013) 2-14 The new owner of the Jags had no interest in continuing with Mularkey.

That’s what I think. Tell me what you think.

You can listen to the podcasts at http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/ and hear NNR Live Mondays and Fridays at 6PM Eastern time on . The Monday show is a review of the previous week and the Browns game. The Friday show previews the upcoming games.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He edits http://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels onand a non-fiction work at http://www.merriam-press.com/. Follow him on twitter @NNRonDSN to get the schedule of Special News, Notes and Rumors broadcasts. You can hear the previous shows on http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/ and the live show Mondays at 6 PM Eastern time on .

NOTE: Check out the live News, Notes and Rumors show on Monday and Friday at 6 PM Eastern on The Bill Smith Radio Show or the archive of the shows on http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/. On Monday Samantha Bunten of NBC Sports and I discuss the Browns game and the results of the weekend. On Friday Tony Williams Giants beat writer for Metro New York joins Samantha and me to preview the upcoming games.

News:

Broncos HC John Fox is back with the team. It was great to see him back and the staff at FPS wishes him the best of health.

RB Trent Richardson was benched by Colts but they say they still believe in him. KFFL.com reports that Richardson was “awesome” and “a pro” about being demoted from the starting lineup. All that means is the GM and staff is covering its hind end about giving up a #1 pick for him.

Cleveland Browns QB Brandon Weeden (concussion) completed 24 of his 40 passes with 3 TDs and 3 turnovers but no one was quite sure which hit caused the condition. It was not a coincidence that NFL rules prohibit a concussed player from doing a press conference.

New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan benched QB Geno Smith after the first half of bad play but said he will start next week.

Vikings QB Christian Ponder (head) did not return to the game last week and is questionable for the next contest.

Seahawks WR Percy Harvin (hip) will be a game-time decision for the game against at the 49ers next week. Based on their crushing win over the Saints, that is not good news for the league.

Broncos DE Derek Wolfe (illness) suffered seizure-like symptoms Friday, Nov. 29. He is out of the hospital but there is no word about when he might return to the field.

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin was fined $100,000 by the NFL for Sideline-gate when he stepped onto the field during a kick return.

Notes:

Lions 40 Packers 10 – The Pack got Flynned. QB Matt Flynn showed everyone why he has been cut twice this season. He was sacked 7 times, lost 2 fumbles and threw a pick. There was no way the Packers could overcome his play and win. The Packers should get QB Aaron Rodgers back next week but at 5-6-1 it may be too late to get them into the playoffs. The Lions played just OK but thanks to the errors of Flynn, they were able to win comfortably.

Falcons 34 Bills of Canada 31 OT – The game was back and forth until the Falcons got a series of pass interference calls to score their final TD with 1:28 left in the 4th. The Bills got the ball into field goal position for the win with less than 30 seconds left but WR Stevie Johnson lost a fumble. Falcon QB Matt Ryan threw for 311 yards and got the critical calls on the last TD drive. The win hurts the Falcons’ draft position.

Bengals 17 Chargers 10 – This was a good win on the road for the Bengals. They have lost these games on the west coast in the past. The Chargers were coming off a big win over the Chiefs in KC. The Bengals used the running game to get the critical yards. They have a very good defense, lots of offensive weapons and a good O line. But the weakness of the Bengals is QB Andy Dalton. He will be the reason they will not go far in the playoffs if they make it.

Broncos 35 Chiefs 28 – Both team’s flaws were exposed in this game. The Chiefs ran for an average of 6.4 yards per carry. Their special teams returned a kickoff for a TD. The Chiefs defense held RB Knowshon Moreno to 1.2 yards per carry on 15 attempts. All of those areas are concerns for the Broncos. The Chiefs had a 21-7 lead and their vaunted defense let the lead evaporate. Despite playing an immobile QB with an ankle issue, D failed to get a sack. And worst of all after beating up on backup QBs for a 9-0 record, they have lost 3 games in a row two of which were at home. The Chiefs D is very over rated. The Broncos will have trouble winning in the cold because QB Payton Manning has never done well outside in the playoffs. The Chiefs might have won if their WRs could have caught the ball better. Both teams will make the playoffs but even with home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, I doubt the Broncos make the Super Bowl.

49ers 23 Rams 13 – The 49er O is getting back to 2013 productivity but the O line is horrible. Don’t believe what you hear from “experts” that talk about how good it is. QB Colin Kaepernick has been running for his life and RB Frank Gore had gotten hit at or behind the line often. The Ram D line is as good as it gets but Kaepernick beat the blitz often thanks to one more quality receiver on the field. WR Michael Crabtree was back. While he only caught 2 passes, his presents on the field forced the Rams to pick which WR got doubled. Kaepernick found the single covered WR often. He threw for 275 yards and a TD.

Seahawks 34 Saints 7 – While the Hawks win was more than impressive there is a major warning flag. QB Russell Wilson was outstanding throwing the ball but he was also the top rusher in the game. RB Marshawn Lynch and the rest of the backs averaged 2.6 yards per attempt on 30 rushing plays. The Hawks are going to have to run better if they want to get into the Super Bowl.

Jaguars 32 Browns 28 – This was one of the worst performances by the Browns I have seen. And I have been watching the team since 1956. To see why the Browns blew a winnable game, check out my Live Game Notes right here on http://fryingpansports.com.

Rumors:

NFL.com reported that the suspension to OG Richie Incognito will be paid in exchange for him agreeing to postpone the hearing until after the NFL reports on the investigation into the harassment charges. This indicates that he will be back on the field long before OT Jonathan Martin will. Look for several teams to be interested in Incognito.

The NFL came down hard on Steelers coach Mike Tomlin for being on the field during a kick return by the Ravens. But the NFL should come down harder on the officials that cost the Redskins a critical first down on a nationally televised game due to bad official mechanics. The officials have had a HORRIBLE year and the NFL needs to fix the issue or at least suspend those responsible for major screw-ups.

If the Packers can’t get QB Aaron Rodgers back next week, they may put him on IR for the season. Another loss will put the team out of the playoff picture. Rodgers will have another MRI this week to see how well his healing is progressing.

With two CBs suspended in the NFL drug program, the Seahawks may sign veteran free agent CB Antoine Winfield.

Colts OC Pep Hamilton is feeling the heat after the offense has struggled badly over the last few games. But no OC can fix an offensive line that leaks like the Titanic. Without protection, no QB can be successful.

That’s what I think. Tell me what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He edits http://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels onand a non-fiction work at http://www.merriam-press.com/. Follow him on twitter @NNRonDSN to get the schedule of Special News, Notes and Rumors broadcasts. You can hear the previous shows on http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/ and the live show Mondays at 6 PM Eastern time on The Bill Smith Radio Show.

NOTE: This week the NFL Preview show will be on Thursday at 6 PM and next week it will be on Wednesday due to the Thanksgiving weekend.

Check out the live News, Notes and Rumors show on Monday and Friday at 6 PM Eastern on The Bill Smith Radio Show or the archive of the shows on http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/. On Monday Samantha Bunten of NBC Sports and I discuss the Browns game and the results of the weekend. On Friday Tony Williams Giants beat writer for Metro New York joins Samantha and me to preview the upcoming games.

News:

The best news of the week was that Texans coach Gary Kubiak was back with the team. He is a good guy and we hope he continues to have good health.

Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe was is facing possible drug charges. According to league rules he is exempt from suspension until the legal case is adjudicated.

Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders was lost for the game and perhaps longer with a foot injury.

The end of the Patriots Panther game was another example of bad and gutless officiating in the NFL. After seeing TE Rob Gronkowski tackled in the endzone the official closest to the foul threw a flag. The officials waived it off and ran off the field like a bunch of girls that had shoplifted a sweater.

Having been an official I have a problem with that. The call should have been either pass interference if the ball was catchable (it was only 4 yards from one of the biggest and most athletic receivers in the league) or defensive holding. The prior would put the ball on the 1 with an untimed down. The alternative would have moved the ball 5 yards closer and provided an untimed down. At the very least the officials should have had the guts to explain to the team and the viewers at home why the flag was picked up. That kind of action makes the league look like the games are fixed. That is the one think that can destroy the legitimacy of the league.

ESPN reports that the Dolphins have asked for a delay in the hearing on Richie Incognito’s non-football injury grievance.

Ravens General Manager and Executive Vice President Ozzie Newsome was taken to the hospital during this week’s game at Chicago. NFL.COM has reported that he is feeling fine and has returned to Baltimore. We wish the Hall of Famer Newsome the best.

Notes:

Steelers 37 Lions 27 – The Steelers wore the Bumble Bee throw back uniforms which should be called throw up uniforms. The Bees started hot throwing a couple of short passes which Antonio Brown took to the endzone to build a 14-0 lead in the first quarter with the no huddle O. That was something that they had not shown before. The Lions scored 27 second quarter points but did not score again. The key play was a fake field goal attempt by the Lions in the pouring rain that failed. In the 2nd half the Steelers increased the heat on Stafford. Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger ended up 29-43 for 367 yards and 4 TDs without a pick. The Lions defensive line could not get much pressure on Roethlisberger only sacking him once. Lions QB Matt Stafford did not have a good day in the winds of Hines Field. He was only 19 of 46 with 2 TDs and 1 interception. The Lions also lost 2 fumbles. WR Calvin Johnson caught 6 for 179 yards and 2 TDs but did not have a catch in the 2nd half.

Raiders 28 Texans 23 – The Texans are done. Neither their O or D played well. They turned the ball over twice and the offense was so bad they benched Case Keenum (13-24 170-1-1) and brought Pick Six Matt Schaub (12-25-155-0-0) back in. The Texans got an 87 yard TD on a punt return by Keshawn Martin but were -2 in turnovers. Undrafted QB Matt McGloin threw three TDs in his first NFL start. He was 18 for 32 for 197 with the 3 TDs and no interceptions. The Texans took a 17-14 lead into the 3rd quarter but McGloin threw two of his TDs in the quarter. The best the Texans could generate under Schaub was two field goals. The Texans were able to convert only 2 of 16 3rd down attempts.

Bears 23 Ravens 20 OT – The Ravens had a 10-0 lead when the field was cleared for almost 2 hours due to heavy rain and lightening. When the game resumed the Bears tied the game on a field goal and a pick 6 by David Bass. The poor field reduced the pass rush of the Ravens. However, it did not seem to slow down the Bears pass rush. Baltimore QB Joe Flacco threw two picks and 1 TD. He now has thrown 13 of each this season. That combined with the hip injury to Ray Rice are the primary reasons the O has struggled in 2013. Bears 2nd team QB Josh McCown did not. The Ravens got the running game going with RB Rice gaining 131 yards and a 5.2 yard average. He is looking healthier. The Ravens got a field goal to tie the game with 3 seconds left but the Bears kicked a field goal in overtime to win.

Eagles 24 Redskins 16 – Eagles QB Nick Foles took advantage of a Redskin defense that is one of the worst in the league. He threw for nearly 300 yards and led the Eagles to two TDs and ran a third in himself. Under Foles the Eagle O does not come close to running the 80+ plays per game. But unlike QB Mike Vick, Foles does not turn the ball over. He has thrown 16 TDs and has yet to throw a pick. While leading rusher LeSean McCoy was held to 77 yards he did score 2 TDs.

Redskin QB Robert Griffin threw an interception and lost a fumble under a lot of pressure from the Eagle D line. RG3 never looked comfortable and the game was over before the Skins O got started. Not only is he playing behind a patched up line he is without any quality receivers.

Bills 37 Jets 14 – Bills rookie QB E.J. Manuel outdueled Jets rookie Geno Smith to lead the Bills to a win at home. Manuel was 20 of 28 for 242 yards and 2 TDs without an interception. Smith was 8 for 23 for 103 yards and three interceptions without a TD. He also fumbled twice but recovered one. Smith has turned the ball over 20 times this season including 16 interceptions. Smith was replaced by Matt Simms who did throw a TD pass. The Bills jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the second quarter mostly from Smith’s turnovers and the Jets never recovered. The Bills defense got 4 sacks and harassed Jet QBs all day.

Saints 23 49ers 20 – The Saints got a little home town officiating. Late in the game the 49ers sacked Brees taking them out of field goal range. But there was a flag for a hit to the head which wiped out the loss and added 15 yards. Replay showed the hit was on the neck. The kick was good which tied the game. As time expired another field goal got the Saints the win.

The Saints D shut down the 49er running game. 49er QB Colin Kaepernick threw two TDs and the defense forced 3 turnovers. He was chased all over the field and got sacked 3 times. The 49er receivers did not get open. The loss puts the team in danger of missing the playoffs. They are now tied with the Cardinals at 6-4. The passing game of the Saints prevailed. QB Drew Brees threw for 300 yards and led the Saints to 2 touchdowns and three field goals for the win. The Saints are a much better team at home than on the road. At 8-2 the Saints need to keep winning to have any chance of catching the Seahawks.

Broncos 27 Chiefs 17 – The flaws of the Chiefs game were exposed against the Broncos. The Chiefs do not have the offense to score enough to overcome a quality team. They had build a 9-0 record against backup QBs on below average teams. The Chief offense had not scored a TD in 6 quarters coming into the game. That is not a formula for a championship. The Broncos are a legitimate threat to go all the way to the Super Bowl ONLY if QB Payton Manning can stay healthy.

Bengals 41 Browns 20 – Four turnovers and two blocked punts did in the Browns chance to win. When your fans give the team a standing ovation for getting a punt off, thing on special teams are bad. For the details of the game check out my Browns Bengals Live Game Notes on http://fryingpansports.com/.

Rumors:

The Steelers will face major cap space issues in part due to the big contract they gave Roethlisberger. They are also getting old and brittle particularly on defense. Look for the team to let some big name (and big salary) older players go including SS Troy Polamalu. A trade of Roethlisberger is not likely because the cap hit would be over 12 million dollars.

Watching Vikings RB Adrian Peterson over the last few weeks I have to believe he is not healthy. He does not have the burst or the jump step he has shown over his career.

With 6 weeks to go in the season it is time to look at those coaches on the hot seat. The two that jump out are Jacksonville and Tampa Bay. Both are very much in need of more wins to insure their return next season.

The Vikings, Falcons, Texans and Redskins share the Under-Achiever of the year award and the coaching staffs may be gone next season. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan has an excuse due to the bounty that was paid for QB Griffin and the salary cap hit imposed by the NFL. That excuse may not apply to GM Bruce Allen. Both the trade and the errors that resulted in the penalty by the league were decisions made by Allen.

This week’s “Too smart for your own good” award:

Lions Coach Jim Schwartz wins the award for going for a fake field goal in the 4th quarter leading the Steelers by 4. The attempt failed (as most of them do) and the Lions lost the game.

That’s what I think. Tell me what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He edits http://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels onand a non-fiction work at http://www.merriam-press.com/. Follow him on twitter @NNRonDSN to get the schedule of Special News, Notes and Rumors broadcasts. You can hear the previous shows on http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/ and the live show Mondays at 6 PM Eastern time on The Bill Smith Radio Show.

NOTE: Check out the live News, Notes and Rumors show on Monday and Friday at 6 PM Eastern on The Bill Smith Radio Show or the archive of the shows on http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/. On Monday Samantha Bunten of NBC Sports and I discuss the Browns game and the results of the weekend. On Friday Tony Williams Giants beat writer for Metro New York joins Samantha and me to preview the upcoming games.

News:

By far the biggest news of the weekend was the Monday night injury to QB Aaron Rodgers. The latest report indicates that he has a break in his collar bone. Without Rodgers the Pack has little chance to make the playoffs.

Our thoughts go out to two NFL head coaches with health issues. FPS staff wishes both John Fox and Gary Kubiak a fast complete recovery. The job of an NFL coach is a 20 hour a day 52 week a year sentence. Those that take the job understand the physical demands that come with it. However, they do it for the love of the game.

Season ending injuries are way up this season. If the trend continues this season will set an all time record for such injuries. Many of the injuries are to the legs and knees. This is an unexpected result of the focus on concussions. Defenders are hitting lower causing the knee injuries. If the league tries to legislate low hits it will make tackling almost impossible.

Notes:

Jets 26 Saints 20 – The Jet D line kept pressure on Saint QB Drew Brees all day. The two interceptions by Brees were both tipped balls caught by the Jets’ DBs. The D held the Saints to 3 of 11 3rd down conversions. Former Saint RB Chris Ivory burned the team that traded him by running for 139 yards on 18 carries for a 7.7 average with a TD. Jet QB Geno Smith was just 8 for 19 for 115 yards with no TDs and no picks.

Eagles 49 Raiders 20 – Eagles QB Nick Foles tied an NFL record throwing for 7 TDs. He burned the Raiders D for 406 yards with a 14.5 average per attempt and no interceptions. Raider QB Terrelle Pryor had a bad game going 22 for 41 for 288 yards but no TDs and 2 picks. The Eagles D sacked Pryor three times but ran for 94 yards on 10 attempts. He hurt his knee but may be able to play next week. Foles performance may put an end to the Eagles career of Mike Vick.

Titans 28 Rams 21 – This was a battle of runners. RB Chris Johnson finally began to earn his big check Sunday. In his biggest game this season he got 39 yards. Against the quality Ram D Johnson ran for 150 yards on 23 carries. Rams RB Zac Stacy ran for 127 on 27 carries. Both scored twice. The game was even deep into the 4th quarter. Kelllen Clemens was sacked and fumbled with 2:54 left. The Titans recovered on the Ram 19 and scored the final TD. The Rams got the ball back twice but could not recover.

Redskins 30 Chargers 24 OT – TheChargers defense scored first on a pass from the endzone being blocked and intercepted for a TD. The Redskins had balance on offense and got one more interception than the Chargers got. Redskin QB Robert Griffin threw for 291 yards and the team got 209 more on the ground. The Chargers depend on QB Phillip Rivers’ arm because they left the running game at home. RB Robert Mathews had two 100+ games coming into the game but got only 7 carries for 34 yards. Rivers threw a 19 yard pass for a TD and the Chargers kicked a field goal to tie the game with just 3 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 24. But the Skins got the ball first in OT and Griffin drove the team down the field for the TD that ended the game.

Seahawks 27 Bucs 24 OT – Tampa forced 3 turnovers including two interceptions and they built a 21-0 lead. Buc QB Mike Glennon was outstanding throwing for 2 TDs without a pick. But Hawks’ QB Russell Wilson and RB Marshawn Lynch brought the team back. Tampa’s defense harassed Wilson all day. He had no time to read the D and throw. A TD pass from Wilson to Doug Baldwin tied the game with just 1:51 left in the 4th. Then Wilson and Lynch drove the team to a winning field goal on their first possession in OT.

Colts 27 Texans 24 – The Texans had a 21-3 lead at half time. Then Coach Gary Kubiak collapsed leaving the field and the team seemed to lose focus. The team supports the coach despite the struggles of this season. The Texans played their best game of the year but the loss of their coach took the air out of the team and the crowd.

Panthers 34 Falcons 10 – The Falcons’ season is officially done. QB Matt Ryan threw 3 picks and lost a fumble. Panther QB Cam Newton did not play all that well but the D was solid enough to win. With the loss by the Saints, the Panthers are only a game behind and in good shape to make the playoffs.

Browns 24 Ravens 18 – The Browns beat the Ratbirds for the first time in 12 games. It was a big game for both teams and the Browns found a way to win. For more on this game check out Browns Ravens Live Game Notes on http://fryingpansports.com/ and the radio version of NNR with Samantha Bunten of NBC Sports covering the game on http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/.

Rumors:

The Redskins are protecting QB Griffin by not allowing him to run as much. He did run 6 times but most were because the pass protection broke down. He averaged only 2.8 yards per carry. He is fearless running the ball. The Skins are using option plays to replace his rushing yards with the TE or WR carrying the ball. But even on those plays Griffin will get hit. The team gave a lot to get RG3 and they need to protect their investment.

The Seahawks are going to get QB Russell Wilson killed because the O line is in shambles. I pointed this out in week 1. He is running for his life on almost every snap. If he gets hurt the season is ruined. It is the major failure of Seahawk management to fail to insure adequate pass protection.

The Bucs have to be heart sick having played as well as they did for four quarters in Seattle only to lose in OT. The team is playing hard but it has way too much talent to be 0-8.

Don’t assume the Texans will be in the first round QB derby in the 2014 draft. The organization believes that undrafted QB Case Keenum has shown enough to be a candidate for the job next season. He has thrown 4 TDs without a pick. He did fumble twice. The O moved much more efficiently under Keenum than under Matt Schaub. Keenum also helps attendance since he played at Houston. This means that Schaub will be elsewhere next year. The team may still draft a QB but it will likely be in the 2nd or 3rd round rather than round 1.

That’s what I think. Tell me what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He edits http://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels onand a non-fiction work at http://www.merriam-press.com/. Follow him on twitter @NNRonDSN to get the schedule of Special News, Notes and Rumors broadcasts. You can hear the previous shows on http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/ and the live show Mondays at 6 PM Eastern time on The Bill Smith Radio Show.

NOTE: Check out the live News, Notes and Rumors show on Monday and Friday at 6 PM Eastern on The Bill Smith Radio Show or the archive of the shows on http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/. On Monday Samantha Bunten of NBC Sports and I discuss the Browns game and the results of the weekend. On Friday Tony Williams Giants beat writer for Metro New York joins Samantha and me to preview the upcoming games.

Thanks to CBS for not showing the first TD by the Packers. Because they are in New York they assume we give a rat’s behind about either the Jets or the Patriots.

Bess drops the slant. Not helping the O.

Penalty on Thomas for a false start.

The Browns unaccustomed to penalties fail to get the play in on time and have to call a TO.

The best thing that Weeden does is throw the ball to the ground.

Weeden hit as Hawk runs over Greco and Ogbonnaya to hit the QB.

Browns saved by the roughing the kicker.

Weeden goes back on the field for no particular reason.

Nice throw to Little from Weeden on the run.

McGahee again hit in the backfield but muscles up for 2.

Whittaker with a nice burst.

Weeden missed a wide open Whittaker.

Weeden picked again because the throw was WAY too late and he stared down the receiver. Please coach make this misery stop.

=

Haden still can cover. Nice long coverage on Nelson. Good pressure from Mingo.

Boykin with a quick out for 3.

These Packer throwback unies should be throw OUT unies.

Browns blitz is not getting close and the O line of the Pack is a problem.

Lacy is a beast. He runs hard.

Blitz again does not get there and the Browns lose contain allowing Rodgers to run for 4.

Lacy again for 5. The D line is getting pushed around.

Lacy for 13. He was untouched until Gipson got him at the 9.

Lacy wide for 8. Ward missed him at the 7.

Second TD by the Pack. Right down the field. The Browns could not get off the field on 3rd down.

GB 14 CL 0

–

Nice return by Whitacher for 31 to the 34.

Pass for Barnidge was shot down by a duck hunter mistaking it for a wounded bird.

Throw to Cameron complete but short of the LTG.

Run by Ogbonnaya gets the 1st but McCarthy challenges the spot.

Big risk by the Browns but they get the call.

Weeden misses a 3 yard throw on a screen pass.

Lattimore hits Ogbonnaya behind the line AGAIN. This O line is garbage. 3rd and 11. The Browns convert 3rd and 10+ only 17% of the time.

Weeden throws into double coverage and the ball is knocked away from Little.

The punt goes into the endzone. The second bad punt.

=

Boykin gets 5 on the quick throw. Haden missed the tackle.

Ward missed the first attempt to get Lacy but gets him behind the LOS.

END OF THE 1ST QUARTER. GB 14 CL 0

Weeden 2-10 with a pick.

Zone blitz fails to get there and Nelson gets the first. Kruger called for a personal foul.

Finley with a 21 yard catch but holding on OT Barkley.

Kruger gets Lacy for no gain because the RB missed the hole.

Third and 20 after false start on Finley.

Jackson stops the pass to Finley for 13 forcing a punt.

–

Good run by Ogbonnaya Thomas with a nice block.

Not so much good blocking on the right side. Ogbonnaya loses a yard.

McGahee hit in the backfield but extends the ball close to the LTG.

After 2nd and half a yard it takes 2 runs to get it.

Gordon drops the ball but is fouled by Williams. Gordon is hurt.

Wild Cat gets just a yard.

Weeden showing a little touch for a 3 yard gain.

Good throw to Cameron and a great catch under pressure to the GB 44.

Lav with a good block gets McGahee to the 38

Little on the out catches the ball for 9.

McGahee again hit at the LOS gets 2.

Lav allows a sack by Daniels. 3-18

Weeden can not make up his mind where to throw and runs for 10.

The sack cost the Browns their best drive of the game.

46 FGA Good.

GB 14 CL 3

=

Safety Ward has to make the tackle on Lacy. Our vaunted front line is not doing much.

Robertson holding and the Pack moves the ball into Browns territory.

Lacy up the gut and is not hit until he gets 9 yards.

Rodgers catches the Browns changing personnel and gets 5 free yards.

Rodgers to Lacy for the 1st on the Browns 23.

2 min warning.

Rodgers misses a wide open Franklin. The RB had gotten away from Sheard.

Pass for 8. 3-1

Franklin for the 1st at the 10. Just a simple off tackle run.

Gipson deflects the pass on 2nd and goal at the 8.

0:14 left Browns TO.

Rodgers throws it away.

26 yard FGA GOOD.

GB 17 CL 3 0:03 left.

Half time

Packers are doing anything they want. They move right down the field into the Browns 43.

No pass rush Nelson gets inside of Haden and catches the pass to the 27.

Hughes and Kruger keep the run to 1.

Rodgers has all time to throw but he finally runs out of time and throws it away.

Blitz on the O right finally gets him at the 34. Kruger and Ownes split the sack.

The Packers were able to do everything they wanted. The D can’t be tired because they just had a break. The D is not as good as their stats indicate they are.

52 yard FGA NO GOOD.

–

Browns ball at the 42. Run by Whitacher for 5.

Packer all out blitz is picked up by the line. But Weeden panics and runs into a sack by Latimore.

Schwartz moves again. 5 yard penalty. And the O line is a strength of the team? Which team is that Browns or Opponents?

Another pass to the short crossing pattern. Little runs hard but gets 11 on a 3rd and 12.

Weeden is afraid to throw long unless the WR is WIDE open. He doesn’t want to throw another pick.

But the D understands he will only throw short and is packing the zone to the LOS.

=

Mingo forces a hold and the Browns send the Pack back to the 5.

Taylor and Sheard chase Rodgers. Shear was tackled in the endzone but it is not called.

Rubin chases Kuhn down after he caught a pass. Zone blitz put Rubin back in the short middle zone.

–

Somebody please break Weeden’s leg so we can at least see Campbell.

Bess catches the 3 yard pass and takes it 9 more yards.

Weeden rolls right and throws it away. Gordon was WIDE open.

Hawk fouls Weeden. Penalty takes the ball to the GB 24.

WC

Gordon can’t get away from Shields and the DB knocks the ball away. 3-12

TO because Little is not lined up correctly.

The Pack brings the all out blitz and Weeden’s pass to Bess almost gets back to the original line of scrimmage.

44 yard FGA GOOD

GB 17 Cundiff 6. 3rd Q 5:03 left.

=

3-8 at the 33 Rodgers picks on Robertson with a throw to Finlay. 1st down on a gain of 15.

Throw to Boykin called back by a hold against the Pack.

3-16 Rubin and Sheard chase Rodgers on a roll to his right. He throws it away. Good job by the D.

The punt rolls to the Browns 1 but it is called back with a penalty.

56 Martin hits a Packer. The Browns would have had the ball at the 34 but the foul takes it to the 25.

–

Whittaker sweep loses 4.

Weeden hits Little on a slant for 12. Good quick throw.

END OF 3rd QUARTER

Browns passing game beginning to move the ball. They had a 2nd and 2 and 2nd and 3 rather than 3rd and long.

Bess open but Weeden misses him. 3-3 at the Packer 36.

Cameron covered tightly by Hide but makes the catch at the sideline.

McGahee and Little both wide open but Weeden misses Grey high in the endzone.

Illegal formation on the Browns. 3-15

Weeden misses everyone. 4-15

House knocks the ball away from Gordon. At least it was a good throw. Packers get the Ball. That’s all folks. Drive home safely.

=

Gipson called for a helmet hit but he had his back to Finley. Finley had his head down and hit it on Gipson’s back. This is a HORRIBLE call. When will the Refs start watching the games? How can a so called professional ref make a call like that?

Two Browns on Boykin but both fall down and Rodgers hits him to the 1 yard line.

Pass to Nelson TD on Haden.

GB 24 Cundiff 6.

–

86 yard kick return by Benjamin to the Packers 20.

Flair to Ogbonnaya too hot.

Weeden waddles to the 11.

Ogbonnaya runs to the 6. 1-goal at the 6.

Weeden throws to Little who was double covered. Inc.

Lav pulls to lead McGahee but doesn’t block a sole.

Throw to Gordon knocked away by House.

Weeden throws to Cameron but it is out of bounds. Penalty on the Pack off side.

Weeden throws a bullet to Cameron on 4th and 2 for the TD.

GB 24 CL 13 6:09 left. Onside kick coming.

Browns get the onside but Carter was off side.

2nd onside kick did not go 10 yards but it looked like it touched a Packer. The Refs don’t think so and the Pack gets the ball after a 15 yard penalty on Jolly.

Lacy for 11 right up the gut. Where is the Browns D?

Hughes gets penetration and the Browns stop Lacy for a loss of 2.

Flag on Skrine on Boykin. Packers on the Browns 25.

Browns lose contain on the left side and Lacy gets 5.

Boykin WIDE open at the 2. Skrine misses him and he scores.

GB 31 CL 13

–

Whittaker brings the ball out to the

Cameron catches 3 passes to take the ball to the 21

Weeden is pressured and throws another underhand flip and it is almost picked again.

He hits Gordon at the 7.

A 95 mile an hour fast ball to Whittaker goes incomplete.

He throws to a double covered Cameron over the middle. It was knocked away.

4-Goal Throw is behind Little. He was wide open but the ball was behind him by a yard. Little is shaking his head in disgust.

= 1:21 left.

Final Thoughts

Offense:

Branden Weeden can’t be fixed. As a coach I can fix a QB that struggles with footwork. I can fix a QB that has issues with his throwing motion. I cannot fix a QB that wets himself when the pass rush gets to him. All of the things I have said about Weeden still apply. He has not improved and the problem is not fixable. If the management lets him start the rest of the year the only game the Browns have a chance to win will be against Jacksonville. If I was the GM I would try to trade Weeden for a bag of used balls or anything I could get. If I was unable to trade him I would release him.

It is time to sign a QB and start Jason Campbell. I would sign Tyler Wilson off the Raiders practice squad. He is young and had a junior year that was good enough to get him a first round grade coming into the 2012 college season. The total meltdown of the Arkansas team had nothing to do with him. If Coach Rob Chudzinski continues to start Weeden he will lose the team and the fan base. It is just that simple. For some reason the team does not want to start Campbell. He has 71 starts and much better numbers than Weeden could ever have.

The O line was lousy as usual. Beside the penalties, the guards have never figured out how to block the End Tackle game by the opponent. The guards still go to double the tackle going to the outside and let the DE come right in to get the sack. Both guards need to be replaced as does RT Mitchell Schwartz. I rated him a late 3rd or 4th round pick. The previous group took him in the early 2nd round. He is not quick enough to play outside. A move to G might save his career.

The receivers did Weeden no favors. Even the sure handed Davone Bess had a case of dropsy. Concentration is the key to catching the ball. It is easier to concentrate when the QB gets the ball in a spot where it can be caught. With the Weeden shotgun the WRs never can anticipate where the ball will be.

Defense:

The D played badly in the last two games. The D has given up 31 points in both. The D does not get much rest because the O can’t get first downs. The D has not been able to get off the field on 3rd down. That is a fatal condition. The zone D leaves receivers wondering alone through the field like they were picking daisies. The Packers running game was held down to some degree but at times gashed the Browns.

Coaching:

Chud and his staff did a decent job calling the game. The opponents have figured out the read option wildcat and that should be put aside for a while. No amount of coaching can make up for a QB that is incompetent. The only issue I have with the coaching staff is not replacing Weeden with Campbell to start this game. The only possible excuse is management wants as high a draft choice as possible to get a QB. That is not acceptable to the fan base. There is talk that Weeden will start the Chiefs game but if he does not play well Campbell will be in soon. We will see if that happens.

Bottom line:

With Weeden at QB this team is very hard to watch. The two wins with Brian Hoyer at QB showed that this team can win with a decent QB running the O. The Browns are going to lose a lot of fans if they end up with 10+ losses. With 3 wins already they will not be in position to have the top pick. The Jags will have that. While I see 4 possible 1st round QBs in the 2014 draft, none of them are sure things. In 2014 Hoyer will start until the new guy gets the playbook down. Although we have seen very little that makes us think the team will draft well, they had better. Because when

That’s what I think. Tell me what you think.

You can listen to the podcasts at http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/ and hear NNR Live Mondays and Fridays at 6PM Eastern time on . The Monday show is a review of the previous week and the Browns game. The Friday show previews the upcoming games.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He edits http://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels onand a non-fiction work at http://www.merriam-press.com/. Follow him on twitter @NNRonDSN to get the schedule of Special News, Notes and Rumors broadcasts. You can hear the previous shows on http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/ and the live show Mondays at 6 PM Eastern time on The Bill Smith Radio Show.

Browns are still using a lot of zone. That allows Green to be free of Haden

Kruger gets the arm of QB Dalton and the drive is over.

–

Brown need a TO on 3rd and 1 because they were not organized. This has happened way too often. The problem was again personnel getting into the game.

Good 11 yard run by Ogbonnaya. Grecco got to the second level on the run.

Bubble screen to Bess well executed with a nice block by Little

Hoyer looks off the safety with a fake bubble screen right then throws to Benjamin on the left. Great YAC and Benjamin runs to the Bengal 22 for 61 yards. Thomas and Grecco get good blocks on the play.

The Browns confuse the Bengals with a wild cat formation and the visitors call TO

Two vanilla runs put the Browns behind the sticks at 3-6

Bess with a great run after a slant and go to the 1 for 17 yards.

Bengals with great penetration force a loss to the 3. The running game is too predictable having to run to the left due to the issues on the right side.

Great catch by Cameron from Hoyer for the TD! Hoyer should copyright that fade play in the endzone.

95 YARD DRIVE for the score!

CL 7 CN 0

=

The Browns tried a type of on-side kick that failed. The kick hit LB Iloka and was recovered by him giving them GREAT field position at their 47.

Browns run D not as effective when the team can pass too.

Jackson takes a bad angle on the pass to Bernard and he runs for the first.

Inside pressure on Dalton forced him to run and Mingo got the sack

Mingo gets penetration vs. the run and the rest finish the job.

Hands to the face foul against Bryant let the Bengals off a 3-13 hook.

Gipson read the QB and located the long pass but dropped it. Green ran a fly but Haden had him in man.

Robertson with decent coverage on TE Eifert

Browns use the wander around D front but did not stop the pass for the 1st

Decent pressure on Dalton prevents the throw to the endzone

Browns get out of their lanes on the pass rush and Dalton runs for the 1st

There is an advantage for a short RB. The Browns lost him behind the o LINE

Great tackle by Haden on the bubble screen to Green forces a field goal

CL 7 CN 3

–

Little brings the KO out to the 26 on a nice return

Pocket collapses and Hoyer misses his first throw of the game.

Gordon catches his first behind CB Jones’ head for the first to the Bengal 37

Browns are late again and use their last TO with 9 min left in the half. This HAS to get fixed.

After a drop by Bess and a run backwards by Rainey they face a 3-14

Gordon catches for the 1st

37 yard field goal attempt NG off the left upright. There is no excuse for this. Banner and Lombardi are brain dead to allow an injured kicker to try to play.

=

Skrine nice play against the run

40 yard penalty on Skrine to the Browns 15

Haden knocks the ball away from green in the endzone but could have caught it

Mingo tips the pass but it is caught by Eifert.

Browns get penetration and stop the 4th down run by Bernard

–

Good run by McGahee is wasted with a bad play

The Browns were totally disorganized and snapped the ball on a run without blocking.

Pass again was short of the LTG and was incomplete anyway.

=

Kruger with good coverage on Bernard on a pass route

Skrine was on Green but Dalton missed him.

Three and out for the Bengals.

–

2:18 on the 8 with no timeouts left.

The only thing that has kept the Browns in the game is the inaccuracy of Dalton.

Browns have to make a 1st

Pass to Ogbonnaya for the first

The Browns play hurry up rather than running the playclock out. That could hurt them

Hoyer to Cameron with a nice 15 yard gain for the 1st

Hoyer runs for 8

Gordon was hurt on a long pass. The same thing that Skrine was called on the Bengals were not.

The Browns send out the injured Cundiff after he fell down with a practice Kick

51 yard FG Good with a nice breeze at his back.

CL 10 CN 3 but the score should be 16-0 if the Browns had a healthy kicker.

=

Eifert with a great play for 29

Mingo bats down the pass but Skrine is called for a personal foul

The Browns get the call on the spot of a 3rd down pass but the Bengals QB sneak for the 1st.

On 3rd and 4 Bryant got Dalton short of the LTG.

43 yard attempt is GOOD.

CL 10 CN 6

–

The Browns can’t run the ball at all. On 2nd and 10 McGahee gets just 1 because there is no push by the O line. The Browns are still not getting to the second level of the D with the blocks.

END OF THE 3rd Quarter.

Adkins power rushes Grecco for a sack of 10 yards. Lanning with a great 52 yard punt with no return.

= 14:21

Dalton has not been able to get the big pass to Green YET.

He hits Gresham for the 1st

The Bengal center snaps the ball like Dalton was in the shotgun. The ball goes past Dalton and the Bengals are lucky to recover.

Robertson, Kruger and Rubin smell out the screen on 3rd and 13 and stop the play.

-11:21 left

The D has played more than well enough to win. It is time for the O to put more points on the board.

McGahee pushes the pile to the 1st. Nice run with little help from the line.

Hoyer gets a ton of pressure but escapes to complete to Rainey near a 1st down at the 29.

Gordon battles Jones for the 1st.

Cameron is WIDE open and gets to the Bengals 24. Nice throw by Hoyer.

Browns have to take another TO due to the calls and personnel not getting in.

McGahee with a 9 yard run.

McGahee to the half yard line with a great run.

Ogbonnaya get the TD pass.

That was a great drive from the 9 to the endzone. 454 left

CL 17 CN 6

=

Gipson plasters Gresham and knocks the ball out.

Dalton is picked by Skrine on a deflection off the hands of 85.

– 343

TO again due to the O not being ready.

Browns try to throw but Hoyer is sacked at the 37.

Browns will punt. Good kick by Lanning to the Bengal 8 yard line.

=

Gipson knocks the ball away at the 20.

Green catches the pass at the 23.

2:00 left

Taylor hurries Dalton and the pass on 3rd is INC.

The long pass to Jones was caught but Skrine knocks it away.

– 1:39 left and THE BROWNS WIN!!!!!!!!!

OFFENSE:

QB Brian Hoyer was very solid but a little erratic. He did not throw a pick and had two TD throws. But he missed a number of open receivers that could have put the game away early. He finished 25 for 38 for 269 yards for 2 TDs with a rating of 103.9. Half of Brandon Weeden’s ratings added together would not equal 103. The O line was as usual OK on the left and very shaky on the right. Hoyer was sacked 3 times and hit many times. But he hung in and engineered five scoring drives. It was not his fault that the kicker missed two reasonable distance field goals.

The passing game was very solid. The Browns actually completed a number of screen passes something they had struggled with for years. Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron are the deep threats and Davone Bess provided the key catches to move the chains. Cameron is becoming one of the better pass catching TEs in the league. For the most part Hoyer put the ball where the receivers could catch it. Even WR Greg Little and RB Chris Ogbonnaya provided a spark with the later catching a TD pass.

The running game was not good but did just enough to keep the Bengals D line from coming all out on every play. Most of the yardage was without much help from the O line. RB Willis McGahee had only 46 yards but most came at the end of the game when the team was trying to run out the clock. His runs were critical to that effort. He will get better with more time to work with the team.

DEFENSE:

The Browns D was outstanding. For the fourth time this year the D played well enough to win. For the second straight game it stopped one of the most dangerous offensive weapons without allowing a score. Last week it was RB Adrian Peterson. This week it was WR A.J. Green. The biggest effect of the overall defensive effort was holding the Bengals to 4 first down conversions on 14 attempts.

The D front 7 was very solid again this week. Although they only got two sacks on QB Andy Dalton, there was a lot of pressure. Dalton averaged only 4.8 yards per pass attempt. He was 23 completions out of 42 attempts. He ended up with a passer rating of 58.2. A lot of his incompletions were due to pressure from the front 7. The D front also limited the running game of the Bengals to 63 yards on 20 attempts.

The defensive backs played very well also. Buster Skrine was picked on a lot. But he came through with three passes defended and the pick on a deflection. The Browns played a lot of zone like they did last game. As a result, Skrine was covering Green often. Dalton tried to take advantage of the mismatch but was not able to. FS Tashaun Gipson played very well. He too had three passes defended.

Coaching and front office:

Head Coach Rob Chudzinski did just OK. There were still three blown time outs due to the team not getting the signals and/or personnel in on time. That is not acceptable. We have heard him say that was something that would be fixed but it still happens way too often. I have no problem with the attempted on-side kick. It would have been more effective if it was the traditional on-side effort kicking a bouncing ball just past the 10 yard limit.

I have a serious problem with team CEO Joe Banner and GM Mike Lombardi not getting a healthy kicker in for this week. It well could have cost the Browns the game. This is just one more case of the management not giving Coach Chud what he needs to win. The team should have signed a veteran guard and corner in free agency with a one or two year deal at the vet minimum. The team is playing its heart out without the parts necessary to make it truly competitive.

The bottom line:

Don’t look now but the Browns are tied for the lead in the AFC North behind only the Ravens but in front of the Bengals all of which are 2-2. With a struggling Ravens team and an inconsistent Bengals club, the Browns could have been in a position to do what the Indians have done—shock everyone by getting into the playoffs. But the failures of the front office have reduced the chances that could happen.

That’s what I think. Tell me what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He edits http://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels onand a non-fiction work at http://www.merriam-press.com/. Follow him on twitter @NNRonDSN to get the schedule of Special News, Notes and Rumors broadcasts. You can hear the previous shows on http://fryingpansports.com/radio-show/ and the live show Mondays at 6 PM Eastern time on The Bill Smith Radio Show.